This Crazy Cosmos http://www.mikiesoft.net Astronomy & Space Exploration Wed, 20 May 2009 06:11:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Atlantis repairs Hubble Space Telescope http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/05/atlantis-repairs-hubble-space-telescope.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/05/atlantis-repairs-hubble-space-telescope.html#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 05:41:44 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=157 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Atlantis repairs Hubble Space Telescope", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/05/atlantis-repairs-hubble-space-telescope.html" });]]> The repairs made by the Atlantis Space Shuttle crew in their historic eleven day mission will enable the Hubble Space Telescope to see farther into our universe than ever before.  It was quite a ride for STS-125.

  • Five spacewalks extended Hubble’s lifespan until at least the year 2014
  • Replaced gyroscopes, batteries and science data transmitter
  • Increased the space telescope’s power 10 x 70 times
  • Installed new instruments (like the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph) and thermal blankets
  • Repaired two existing instruments

Some of the astronauts were blogging from space.  Mission specialist Mike Massimino is on Twitter as astro_mike.

More shuttle news at www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/


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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/05/atlantis-repairs-hubble-space-telescope.html/feed Moon Venus Conjunction http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/moon-venus-conjunction.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/moon-venus-conjunction.html#comments Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:57:35 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=156 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Moon Venus Conjunction", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/moon-venus-conjunction.html" });]]> Did you see how close the planet Venus was to the moon last night?  Suspended in the night sky, the pair was strikingly beautiful.   It took my mind off the fact I couldn’t locate Comet Lulin, which was probably lost in the light pollution of the city lights.

spaceweather.com posted some great pictures of last night’s conjunction between Venus and the crescent moon.  The site also has a stunning photo of the green comet streaking by the blue star Regulus in the constellation Leo.

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/moon-venus-conjunction.html/feed Comet Lulin http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/comet-lulin.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/comet-lulin.html#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:02:46 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=155 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Comet Lulin", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/comet-lulin.html" });]]> Comet Lulin

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/35992534.html

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2009/02/where-to-look-f.html

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/02/comet-lulin.html/feed 400th Anniversary of Galileo’s Telescope http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/400th-anniversary-of-galileos-telescope.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/400th-anniversary-of-galileos-telescope.html#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:57:03 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=154 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "400th Anniversary of Galileo’s Telescope", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/400th-anniversary-of-galileos-telescope.html" });]]>

This is the International Year of Astronomy…the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s telescope.

Learn about our incredible universe at www.astronomy2009.org

IYA2009 YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/user/astronomy2009

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/400th-anniversary-of-galileos-telescope.html/feed 2009 International Year of Astronomy http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/2009-international-year-of-astronomy.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/2009-international-year-of-astronomy.html#comments Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:25:12 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=153 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "2009 International Year of Astronomy", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/2009-international-year-of-astronomy.html" });]]> IYA2009 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, with many exciting events planned, including the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s telescope. 

Witness other amazing scientific discoveries, download podcasts, take part in contests, and see a new high-tech documentary “400 years of the Telescope!”

There’s hundreds of exciting events planned already, with many more being organized.  Participate in this worldwide outreach program and learn more about our incredible universe.

More info at www.astronomy2009.org

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/2009-international-year-of-astronomy.html/feed NASA in 2008 http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/nasa-in-2008.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/nasa-in-2008.html#comments Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:12:10 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=152 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "NASA in 2008", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/nasa-in-2008.html" });]]> NASA reviews their amazing achievements in 2008…The Ares I rocket, Hubble discoveries, the 10th Anniversary of the International Space Station, the Phoenix Mars Lander, and even a new swimsuit that broke world records.

www.nasa.gov

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/nasa-in-2008.html/feed Venus & the Moon Ring in 2009 http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/venus-the-moon-ring-in-2009.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/venus-the-moon-ring-in-2009.html#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:37:19 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=151 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Venus & the Moon Ring in 2009", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/venus-the-moon-ring-in-2009.html" });]]> Planet Venus was brilliant last night as it hung just below the crescent moon.  You could briefly seen this jeweled pairing in the early evening sky as New Year’s Eve drew to a close.  If you had a clear horizon right after sunset, you might have seen Jupiter shining brightly right next to Mercury, much smaller and dimmer, but those planets were side by side last night too.  More info at earthsky.org/skywatching

A really beautiful celestial show to ring in the New Year.  Happy 2009, and Thanks for reading this blog!

Mike @ ThisCrazyCosmos

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2009/01/venus-the-moon-ring-in-2009.html/feed NASA 2008 Year in Review http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/nasa-2008-year-in-review.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/nasa-2008-year-in-review.html#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:21:14 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=150 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "NASA 2008 Year in Review", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/nasa-2008-year-in-review.html" });]]> NASA has a great end-of-year review on their website nasa.gov.  The space agency achieved some great accomplishments in 2008:  A Mars landing with the Phoenix Lander, stunning photographs from other planets in our solar system, major additions to the International Space Station, a joint lunar science mission with India, progressed toward the goal of returning astronauts to the moon, and celebrated two important anniversaries.

NASA celebrated the tenth year in operation of the International Space Station (ISS), and also celebrated their fifty years of operation as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  The Apollo lunar program also hit the forty year mark, so this was quite a year for NASA and space exploration.

NASA’s 50th Anniversary site has animation, video and audio clips of historic moments from the past fifty years of space exploration.

Explore their amazing timeline at www.nasa.gov/50th

www.nasa.gov/history

www.nasa.gov

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/nasa-2008-year-in-review.html/feed Geminids a washout http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/geminids-a-washout.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/geminids-a-washout.html#comments Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:54:08 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=149 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Geminids a washout", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/geminids-a-washout.html" });]]> The Geminid meteor shower is usually the best show of the year as far as meteor showers go.  But a full moon will pretty much wash out most of this year’s meteors during the peak of the Geminids show.

However, you should still be able to see the two bright stars not too far from tonight’s full moon.  Castor and Pollux belong to the constellation Gemini, which is the radiant of the Geminid shower.

Read more about the Geminid meteors…

www.space.com

www.earthsky.org

www.astronomy.com

www.skyandtelescope.com

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]]> http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/12/geminids-a-washout.html/feed Thanksgiving in Space http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/11/thanksgiving-in-space.html http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/11/thanksgiving-in-space.html#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:53:11 +0000 Mike http://www.mikiesoft.net/?p=148 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Thanksgiving in Space", url: "http://www.mikiesoft.net/2008/11/thanksgiving-in-space.html" });]]> watch?v=9lMjY4RdSaw

I was wondering what it must be like to celebrate a holiday like Thanksgiving in space.  A quick search discovered this year-old video from the collectspace YouTube Channel. It shows two of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station describing their Thanksgiving dinner and counting their blessings.

The current astronauts have bid farewell to the space station crew, as they prepare to undock and depart the station Friday morning for a return to earth.  The Endeavour shuttle mission was declared a success with four spacewalks completed in eleven days.  More info at www.nasa.gov

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